Aerial vessel.



No. 729,800. PATBNTED- JUNE 2, 190a.

G. D. SHULTZ.

AERIAL VESSEL.

- APPLICATION FILED JULY 2. 1901. RENEWED NOV. 3, 1902. N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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APPLIGATION FILED JULY 2. 1901. RENEWED N0 MODEL.

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APPLICATION FILED JULY 2. 1901. RENEWED NOV. 3, 1902.

' PATENTED JUNE 2,1903. D. SHULTZ.

AERIAL VESSEL.

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Invenio r: Geo. fl. ShuZ iz No. 729,800, PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903. G. n. SHULTZ.

. AERIAL VESSEL. APPLICATION FILED JULY 2. 1901. RENEWED NOV. 3; 1902. K0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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Unrrno STATES Patented June 2, 1903.

enonen D. snUL'rZ, or KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

AERIAL VESSEL.

$PEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,800; dated June 2, 1903. Application filed 1 2,1901. Renewed November 3,1902. $eriallio.130,0( )4. (Nomodel-l 10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. SHUL'IZ, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aerial Vessels, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to air-ships, and more particularly to that class embodying wings for lifting, sustaining, and partly propelling a buoyant body for assisting in lifting and sustaining the ship, aeroplanesfor deflecting up or down, rudders for directing the ship to the right or to the left, and rotary propellers 1 for driving it forward.

The object of my invention is to generally improve this class of air-ships; and it consists in certain novel and peculiar features of con-.

struction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 represents in side elevation an airship embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a front view of the same.

wings detached. Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the same, taken on the line V V of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional perspective view of the same, and Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the vertical framework.

In the said drawings, 1 designates a car of any suitable or preferred configuration and pipes forming the upper sideof said rectangular framework are forwardly and rear- Wardlyprojecting pipes 3, or said pipes may be simply integral oontinuations of said upper pair of pipes. A pair of vertical frames t each consists of a series of horizontal longitudinally-extending pipes 5, arranged vertically one above the other and equal to the Fig. 4, is an enlarged perspective view of one of the combined length of frame 2 and pipes 3, and therefore of inuch greater length than the car, the vertical pipes 6, arranged a .distance apart about equal to the length of the car, the vertical pipes 7, which are arranged at the opposite ends of pipes 5, the transverse braces in the form of pipes 8 and 8, and the couplings 9 and 9, which are mounted on pipes 5 and respectively connect the same with pipes 6 and 7, so as to form parallel frames, these frames being connected rigidly together through the medium of said braces,

.In order to balance the machine, and therebymore scientifically distribute its weight, so asuto use as little ballast as possible, the pipesand couplings forming said frames and connecting them together are diminished in diameter and weight from the base or bottom to the top of said frame, as shown clearly in the drawings.

The complete frame described is much narrower than the car and is arranged vertically and centrally above and connected to it by means'of the upwardly-converging pipes 10 10", which are secured at their upper and lower ends, respectively, to the couplings 9 9 at the base of said frames and the couplings 3 and 11, respectively, forming a part of frame 2 and mounted upon the front ends of pipes 3. This enumeration completes the description of the car and the rigid skeleton framework surmounting it. y Byreference to Fig. 3 it will be noticed that a lifting tendency is constantly exerted upon the ship, because the wings are divided into two sets, which move alternately upward and downward, a numberof each set being located on each side of the machine, so as to mainrain the equilibrium, and as these wings are of precisely the same construction a detail description of one will suflice for all.

The bars or sections 12 of the wing are of approximately U shape in cross-section and by preference taper from their f ul'crum-points outwardly and inwardly (see Fig. 5) in order to dispose the most weight where the greatest strain is imposed. The fulcrum-points, as hereinafter appear, are only a short distance from theinner ends, and the bars are arranged 8 connecting coupling 9 and 8 connecting edgewise with the U-shaped portions projecting in the same direction and their opposite ends connected above and below said U- shaped portions by end bars 13, L-shaped in cross-section, with their horizontal arms or flanges projecting outwardly of the machine,

and bolted between said bars are flexible resilient wing extensions 14, the same being preferably curved downward in a greater or less degree, according to the position of the wing in action. The side bars or quills project inwardly beyond the intermediate baror bars and are provided with pivot-holes 15, the fulcrum-holes 16 of the wing being provided in said bars and in the intermediate bar or bars adjacent to the inner bars 13. The blades or feathers 17 of the wing are clamped or otherwise secured in the U-shaped portions of the quills at their front edges, their rear or free edges being limited as to upward movement by Contact with the under side of the U-shaped portions of the contiguous bars located rearward with respect to the direction of travel of the machine, and in order to render the wings more effective by preventing air from passing therethrough on their downward stroke and also to eliminate noise which would usually be incidental to the free edge of the feathers striking on the frame the under side of the U-shaped portions of bars 12 are provided with cushions in the form of felt strips 12, and as a precaution against the comparatively long feathers buckling up between the quills under the heavy pressure to which they are subjected in the downward movement of the wings guard-wires 12" are secured to the wings above the feathers 17, bridging the spacesbetween the quills, as shown clearly on Sheet 4.

'The wing construction just described is that which I prefer; but it is to be understood that I con fine myself only to the principle of construction involvedthat is to say, to a plurality of blades or feathers, which being of resilient or flexible material are depressed by the pressure of the atmosphere as they are swung or flapped rapidly upward, so as to permit the air free passage through the wing, but which close upon the downward movement and striking the U-shaped portions or stop, hereinbefore described, prevent the passage of air up through the wing, which is thus utilized to effect the elevation or suspension of the vessel. As above stated,

there are two sets of these wings, one set, 18,

being arranged to swing downwardly as the other set, 18, swings upwardly. At each side of the machine the wings are preferably arranged in three vertical series, one series being arranged between the vertical pipes 6 and the other series between pipes 6 and 7, the pipes 5 extending through fulcrum-holes l6 and forming the fulcrum for the wings, and the opposing pipes 5, forming said hinge orfulcrum points, are connected by flexible sheets 18". (See Figs. 2 and 3.)

The flexible wing extension l- L of each wing is connected at its free or outerend to the rigid or quill portion of the Wing proper by one or more retractile springs 19 and extending centrally through said springs and attached at their ends to the same points of connection as the springs -viz. to the flexible extensionsand the rigid or quill portions of the wings are non-elastic cables or chains 20, these latter limiting the upward movement of the wing extensions, and consequently the expansive action of the springs, in the downward movement of the wings. (See Fig. 3.) As the Wings ascend, said extensions afford practically no resistance. The opposite wings when depressed converge upwardly and tend to deflect the air upwardly and inwardly between them and against the flexible sheets 18", hereinbefore referred to, which sheets by preventing the escape of the greater volume of the air up between the inner ends of the wings offer a compressed-air resistance to the down or operative flaps of the latter. This obviously results in a more rapid ascent of the vessel than could take place if the air was left perfectly free to pass upwardly between the inner ends of the wings.

In order to propel the ship forward, I employ a pair of rotary propellers 21 of the customary type. end of the ship in different horizontal planes and near the opposite side of the skeleton framework. The lower one is mounted rigidly upon a short shaft 22, journaled at its They are mounted at the rear opposite ends in bearing-brackets 23, secured to and projecting inwardly from the vertical tubes 7 6 at the-lower corner of one of the frames l composing such framework, while the upper propeller is mounted rigidly upon a similar shaft 24, journaled in brackets 25, mounted upon a pair of the pipes 7 and 6 of the opposite frame. A chain or belt 26 connects sprocket wheels or pulleys 26 -upon said shafts, so that they shall both rotate to gether, and a second chain or belt 27 connectsasmall sprocket wheelor pulley 28 upon the shaft 22 with a large sprocket wheel or pulley 29, mounted upon the drive-shaft 30. This shaft is arranged centrally and extends longitudinally almost the full length of the framework and a suitable distance above'the car. It is journaled at its opposite ends in the brackets 31, mounted upon the braces 8 at the lower corners of the framework and the cross-bars at the front and rear ends of the pipes 3, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, these bracket-s, at least the front one, being bifurcated at their lower ends, so as to provide a,

more substantial bearing for the shafts and foran additional purpose, which will be presently explained. The shaft at its middle is provided with a crank 32, which is connected, through the medium of a link 33, with an engine or other motor located in the car. As the construction of this motor is unimportant in this connection, it is not necessary to IVS nected at their opposite ends to and between.

the ears 39 of said collars and the inner ends of the wings 18, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. The oppositely-disposed eccentrics 35 are connected by similar straps 41 with similar rods 42, mounted in guides 42, secured to pipes 8 8 said rods 42 carrying like collars 43, and

, the ears 44 of said collars are connected by links 45 with the inner ends of the wings 18K Owing to the fact that the eccentrics are thus oppositely disposed, one set of wings rises as the other falls, so that a practically constant lifting power is exerted.

In order to make positive the tendency of the front end of the ship to rise or dip when desiring to ascend or descend, I employ one or more aeroplanes '46.

wardly of the framework in different horizontal planes and are pivoted at their rear ends, as at 47, to laterally-projecting arms 47 of the couplings 0. They converge, preferably, toward a point and are connected together near their front corners by the rods or cables 48, so as to insure their synchronous and equal movement in one direction or the other. The aeroplane nearest the car is connected by cables 49 and 50 with the drum 51, journaled in the brackets 52 within the car, and projecting radially from said drum or mounted upon the same shaft, so as to turn therewith, is a steering-wheel 53. Owing to the fact that the cable 50 is bent somewhat out of its course in its passage from the cable 49 to the drum, I mount upon the cross-rod in the bifurcation of the front brackets 31 the brackets 54, and journaled between them is a grooved antifriction-roller 55, engaged at its under side by said cable. I mount also between said brackets, but inward of the roller 55, a similar roller 56, and engaging the under side of said roller is a cable 57, which cable extends vertically upward at the front end ofthe frame to a point a suitable distance above the topmost'aeroplane where it engages a second antifriction-roller 58, mounted upon the correspondingly-located cross-rod 8 of the frame. From said roller it extends downwardly and forwardly andis connected to the cable or cables 59, attached to the outer corners of said topmost aeroplane. The cable 57 at its lower end is secured to the drum in such manner that it winds thereon as the cable unwinds, and vice versa, in order that both cables may always be kept at the proper tension and used These project for alternately as mediums for 'the synchronous elevation and depression, respectively, of said aeroplanes, as will be readily understood.

In order to guide the ship to one side or the other or to travel in a circle, if desirable or necessary, I provide the rudder 60. This is of suitable size and is mounted rigidly upon the vertical rod 61,.journaled inthe bearingbracket 62, the latter being secured upon the rod 63, arranged centrally of and projectingrearwardly from the framework between the propellers preferably. It is secured at its forward end in any suitable or preferred manner.

To make positive the movements of the rudder, it is provided with the laterally-projecting arms 64, to which are connected the rear ends of the cables 65, connected, preferably, at their forward ends, to a steeringwheel (not shown) located within the car. If desired, however, the front ends of said cables may be grasped by a person within the car and the rudder controlled in a well-known manner. The cables 65 are guided over pulleys 66, journaled in brackets secured to the rear end of'the framework near the horizontal plane of the arm 64, and under pulleys 67, journaled in brackets depending, preferably, from the lower rear corners of said framework.

Asit will be advisable to ntilizeabuoyant body to assist in elevating and sustaining the ship, I provide a balloon 68, preferably cigarshape, the same being attached atits opposite sides, as at 69, to the upper ends of the topmost pipes 6 and 7., This balloon under ordinary conditions will be deflated,andtherefore suspended from and between said pipes, and will also be provided with the usual apparatus (not shown) for effecting said defiation when desired, these apparatus not being shown, as they are of the usual or any preferred type. 1

Before starting upon a journey the persons in control of the car will inflate the balloon and then manipulate the steering-wheelto cause the depression of the aeroplanes. The motor may then be started and the wings and propellers set in operation. Owing to the immense spread of the wings, due to the employment of a plurality of the same, they exert an immense lifting power, and such power, by preference, is so proportioned with relation to the propellers that the wings will begin to elevate the ship before sufficient power is generated to propel it forward, and as a consequence there will be no tendency of the ship to' slip and slide forwardly upon the ground before it rises. Of course the wings and the propellers will at first operate slowly, and their movement will be-accelerated as more power is applied, this of coursebeiug under the control of persons within the car. The power due to the gradually-accelerated movement of the wings and propellers will finally be sufficient to lift the ship vertically from the ground, and instantly after this takes place, the frictional contact with the earth being removed, the propellers will begin to perform their proper "function and the ship will move forwardly and. upwardly, due to the flapping of the wings and the positions of the aeroplanes. When the vessel has reached a suitable height, the aeroplanes will be positioned properly to maintain it at such level, and to do this it will probably be necessary to incline them slightly upward, so as to counteractthe tendency of the wings, which constantly operate to continue the ascent of the ship. To move to the right or to the left, it will only be necessary to manipulate the rudder through the medium of the cables 65.

When it is desired to descend, the aeroplanes of course will be inclined downwardly and the power applied to operate the propellers and wings gradually diminished, so

- as to permit the ship to settle gently to the earth.

It is to be understood, of course, that means may be provided, such as the ordinary clutch mechanism, for throwing the propellers in and out of gear with the power mechanism and thereby preventing any possibility of their forcing the vessel forward until it has been raised to a proper elevation. As-such means,-l1'owever, is common in all mechanisms for transmitting power, I do not deem it expedient to illustrate it. It will be noticed in this connection that the blades or feathers of the wings, being hinged at their front ends, will present on the upward or inoperative stroke of the wings a forwardly and upwardly inclined surface, and consequently by the pressure of the air against a large number of such surfaces the ship will be impelled forwardly. In fact, they will be of material assistance to the propellers in driving the ship forward at a great speed.

The tendency-of' the feathers or blades of the wings as said wings swing upwardly of course is to force the ship downwardly as well as forwardly; but this downward tendency is effectually counteracted by the aeroplanes in advance, and consequently do not materially affect the course of the ships travel.

I contemplate constructing this ship almost entirely of aluminium, which is extremely light, and at the same time combines strength andrigidity in a high degree, but reserve to myself the right to employ its equivalent.

It is to be understood, furthermore, that various changes in the form, proportion, detail construction, and arrangement of parts maybe made without departing from the essential spirit and scope of my invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

. Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an air-ship, a plurality of wings each carrying pivotally at its outer end a curved Wing extension, and a retractile spring connecting said wing extension with the Wingframe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an air-ship, a plurality of wings, each carrying pivotally at its outer end a curved wing extension, a flexible connection between said wing extension and the wing-frame, and a retractile spring also connecting said wing extension with the wing-frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an air-ship, awing consisting of a series of rigid quills, parallel bars connecting said quills at their outer and inner ends, feathers hinged at one edge to said quills and adapted at their opposite edge to abut against contiguous quills, a curvedwing extension of flexible material bolted at its inner edge to the cross-bar connecting the outer ends of the quills, a non-elastic connection connecting the outer edge of the wing extension to one of said quills, and a retractile spring spirally surrounding said connection and coincidentally attached to said quill and wing extension, substantially as described.

4. In an air-ship, a wing consisting of a series of parallel quills of U shape in cross-section with the body of the U portion arranged horizontally and all disposed in the same direction, bars connecting said quills at their outer and inner ends, and feathers of flexible material having their corresponding edges secured in the U-shaped portions of the quills, and their opposite or free edges underlying the U-shaped portions of the contiguous quills, substantially as described.

5. In an air-ship, a wing consisting of parallel quills of inverted-U shape in cross-section, the side quills projecting forwardly beyond the intermediate quill or quills, crossbars rigidly connecting the quills at their outer and inner ends, blades or feathers of flexible material clamped at corresponding edges in the body or loop portions of the quills, and having their opposite or free edges abutting upwardly against said portions of the contiguous quills, and wires connecting the quills above the blades or feathers, substantially as described.

6. In an air-ship,a suitable framework,vertically-operating wings pivoted to the opposite sides of the framework, and flexible sheets arranged substantially horizontal, and connected at their opposite sides to the framework, and adapted to offer resistance to the free passage of the air up between the wings.

7. In an air-ship; a suitable framework, provided with longitudinal pipes, wings proj ect-ing outwardly from each side of the framework and fulcrumed on said longitudinal pipes, means for operating said wings, and flexible sheets bridging the space between the wings and attached at their side margins to said longitudinal pipes.

8. In an air-ship, a suitable framework,ver-

work, and adapted to offer resistance to the free passage of air up between the wings, means for guiding the ship laterally, and I 5 means for guiding the ship vertically either up or down, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof ,I affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE 1). SHULTZ.

Witnesses:

H. C. RODGERS, G. Y. THORPE. 

